Prince Harry was last night in mourning after his godfather Gerald Ward died while playing golf yesterday.

The 70-year-old former army officer suffered a massive heart attack and collapsed on the first tee during a charity tournament.

An air ambulance was scrambled to the scene but Mr Ward was pronounced dead at the course.

A source said: "It would seem he was part of a foursome that had just teed off when he collapsed clutching his chest.

"Staff and players rushed to resuscitate him but it was too late.

"Mr Ward's partner abandoned the game but other participants continued to play saying that was what he would have wanted."

Dad-of-two Mr Ward collapsed at Sunningdale Golf Club near his home in Berkshire.

News of his death was broken to Harry after he finished exercises with his Blues and Royals battalion at an undisclosed location.

Like his godson, Mr Ward was an Old Etonian and one-time officer in the Household Cavalry.

He took a close interest in Harry's schooling and military career, advising him before his deployment in Afghanistan last year.

At the time Mr Ward laid into the Ministry of Defence for releasing details of the princes' aborted tour of duty in Iraq. He said: "It is very naive of the Ministry of Defence to spell out the type of work he may do and the type of vehicles he may drive.

"I fear for his life. I'm a father, a grandfather and a godfather.

"I fear for anyone's life in that situation.

"But as a soldier he would want to go." Mr Ward, once tipped as a possible future husband for Princess Anne, was one of Harry's dad Prince Charles's closest friends.

Ten years his senior, he was with the then 23-year-old royal when he first met Camilla at Annabel's nightclub in 1972.

Mr Ward's second wife Amanda is now one of the Duchess of Cornwall's closest friends and the pair go on holiday together every summer.

The couple were part of Charles and Camilla's inner circle.

All four of them shared a love of horses and shooting and would often enjoy fishing holidays at Balmoral.

Mr Ward leaves behind two daughters Sarah, 40, and Lucy, 38, from his first wife Rosalinde.

The family were last night being comforted at the family estate in Hungerford, Berks.